


In This Sleep of Death, What Dreams May Come?

by Chronic_Gay_Panic



Series: Agere Sanders Sides [3]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Age Play, Age Regression/De-Aging, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Night Terrors, Non-Sexual Age Play, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 14:28:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19396042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chronic_Gay_Panic/pseuds/Chronic_Gay_Panic
Summary: Virgil has a rough night, but his family is always there to pick him back up.





	In This Sleep of Death, What Dreams May Come?

**Author's Note:**

> the title is from hamlet, obviously. also im sorry ik theres about a million other things i should be writing rn but hell sue me.

Virgil wasn't entirely sure of _why_ he was awake, but he was very much aware of the fact that he _was_ awake. Even more so, he was aware of the fact that he was shaking violently, breath coming out in big, whooping sobs. And lastly, but perhaps most importantly, Virgil was aware of the fact that his bed and clothes were soaked. And with those realizations clocked, Virgil couldn't deny that he was undoubtedly littler than he had been in a very long time.

Something in the back of his mind told him that it was just another night terror; that he should go and get Logan or Patton, even Roman if he had to, but another, much bigger part, was screaming that he was going to be in trouble if he got them; they would hurt him; they would stop loving him. He would be alone forever, and Virgil didn't _want_ to be alone forever. They'd kick him out and then where would he go? He had nowhere else, _no one_ else.

He quickly realized he was spiraling down into an anxiety attack, breath getting faster and more shallow with each passing moment. Before he knew it he would be in a full blown panic, and he knew that he had to nip it in the bud. Shaky hands pressed play on his CD player, yanking the headphone cord out when he couldn't figure out how to deal with it. Beethoven's _Moonlight Sonata_ began to fill the room, just loud enough to drown out the thoughts in his head. He closed his eyes, trying to go through the breathing exercises Logan always helped him with. He wasn't able to achieve his normal rhythm (Logan would be so disappointed in you; can't you do anything _right?_ ), but it was enough to stave off most of his panic, which still left him with the problem of his wet sheets and clothes. His eyes filled with tears once more as he realized that there was only one way he could think to fix this. He had to go get help; they'd be more mad if he let it sit overnight and he could't fix it on his _own._

The door to their shared bedroom had never looked more daunting than it did in that moment. Virgil mostly slept in a separate room to avoid panic attacks brought on by sensory overload, but the thought of going in the room had never instilled in him the fear that he currently felt. He knew it was unlikely that he made it in and out without waking up all of his boyfriends, but Patton slept on the edge of the bed, and maybe Virgil could get him to wake up without alerting the others. 

The door creaked slightly as he swung it open, and Virgil winced as Logan shuffled in his sleep, waiting for the other to wake up and- and Virgil wasn't sure _what,_ but he was pretty sure it wouldn't be good. He shuffled silently toward the bed, hating the way his wet clothes felt against his skin, and-ever so carefully-poked Patton gently on the shoulder.

Virgil held his breath as Patton moved a bit, but his eyes stayed closed. He took another deep breath to steal himself and shook Patton's shoulder firmly. He wasn't sure whether to be afraid or relieved when Patton's eyes flew open, awake but still groggy with sleep. He hunched in on himself as Patton studied him for a moment.

"Virgil?" Patton squinted at him, obviously having trouble seeing in the dark without his glasses.

Virgil opened his mouth to respond, but all that came out was a sob, and oh god he was crying again and Patton was gonna _hate_ him and-

"Hey, hey, breathe with me, Honey. Everything's okay, come on."

He was only vaguely aware of when another voice took over, a soft hand guiding his own to rest on someone else's chest. "Virgil, you must breathe. In for four. Hold for seven. Out for eight."

Virgil did his best to follow the instructions, but his chest still burned with every breath he took and he felt closer with each passing minute to being completely alone.

"You are doing well, Virgil. Now, again. In for four. Hold for seven. Out for eight."

Virgil isn't entirely aware of how long this went on before he began to reclaim some sense of the world around him. Patton and Logan were sitting beside him (When had he sat on the floor?) and Roman was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching the scene unfold with worried eyes. The knowledge that he had, in fact, woken all of them up almost sent him into another fit of panic, but Patton's soft voice asked him, "You with us, Kiddo?"

He nodded, not taking his hand from Logan's chest. He was desperate for the human contact, and Logan had yet to pull his own hand away from Virgil's wrist. Patton held his arms up in a silent invitation for a hug, but Virgil was loathe to leave the calm presence of Logan. Just at that moment, Logan let his hand drop from Virgil's wrist, and Virgil felt tears pooling in his eyes again as he launched himself into Patton's waiting arms. A gentle hand rubbed his back.

"Shh, I know, Sweetie. Can you tell me what happened? What's got you so upset?"

Virgil shook his head and added a mumbled, "Don't 'member."

Patton must have shot Logan a look because he was the next to speak. "Virgil, it is my assumption that this is the result of a night terror, in which it is common for the sufferer to have little to no recollection of the events within the dream."

Virgil nodded miserably, though he was sure no one could see it as he refused to move his face from it's hiding place in Patton's chest. Patton seemed to hold him a little tighter (not that Virgil was complaining) before standing, taking the frightened boy up with him.

"i'm going to go run you a bath and then you can sleep in here with us for tonight, okay, V?" Virgil was pretty sure he mouthed something to Roman over his head after that, but he didn't care enough to look. With the adrenaline gone, Virgil was quickly succumbing to exhaustion, eyes heavy as his hand drifted toward his mouth.

Someone pushed his hand back down, and Virgil let out a whine before the rubber tip of a pacifier was placed in his mouth (and really, how had they found his pacifiers?), and a calm, soothing voice said something about germs.

Once they got to the bathroom, Virgil found himself conflicted. He knew, logically, that he needed a bath, but he also downright refused to let go of Patton for any reason barring an immediate life or death emergency. Patton's suggestions of, "Verge, if you don't let go of me then you can't get a bath and cuddles afterward," fell on deaf ears and Virgil felt like crying again because Patton was going to leave him, and the others would follow, and all that mattered right now was that _he didn't let go of Patton._

"Virgil, might I suggest that Patton get in the tub with you? You will still have to let go, but it will be for a substantially shorter amount of time." Virgil hesitated, and it seemed for a moment that he was about to say no, before he nodded his head slowly.

"Okay, Honey, we can do that," Patton's gentle voice said from above him.

It was a wonder that Virgil didn't fall asleep in the warm water of the bath, Patton a comfortable weight behind him as he did his best to clean the smaller boy off.

In total, it only took a few moments for Virgil to get cleaned and brought back out into the bedroom. A folded onesie and his stuffed bear sat on the bed, and Virgil immediately made to grab for the bear, flopping his whole body forward. Patton's arm tightened just in time to catch him so the baby wouldn't fall on the floor.

"Woah, careful there," Patton exclaimed. Virgil just whined, hands still reaching for the bear.

"Okay, Honey, lets get you dressed and then you can have your bear, okay?" Virgil, still pouting, relented, letting go of Patton just log enough for him to be laid down on the bed.

Patton moved the onesie, revealing the diaper underneath, and fully expecting it to create a whole new problem with getting Virgil dressed. Luckily, though, Virgil was too tired to care, barely letting out a whine around his pacifier before giving in.

And if Virgil was asleep before Patton even finished getting him dressed, bear held firmly in his arms, no one said a word.


End file.
